Insulation-repairing device.



"w; c. ULRICH.

INSULATION REPAIRING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, I916.

Patented June 11, 1918.

UNITED STATES rATEN'r OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. ULRICH, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 0F 0NE HALF T0 PETER J. I

LAVALLE, or sr. PAUL, MIn vEsorA.

INSULATION-REPAIRING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11,1913.

Application Med May 13, 1916. Serial No. 97,303.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, WILLIAM G. ULRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Insulation-Repairing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in insulation repairing devices, and has for its primary object to provide a simple and inexpensive device, which will quickly and smoothly apply and compact insulating compound upon aerial electrical conductors, while they remain strung'upon their supports when in use, said compound being adapted to set and harden after application. More particularly this invention has to do with features of construction which are improvements upon the device forming the subject matter of my companion applica tion Serial Number 75,405, filed by me on the 31st day of January, 1916, forinsula- -Fig.y4 is a section of a detail taken upon the line YY of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken upon the line Z-Z of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section of a detail taken upon the line VV of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a section of a detail of one of the sides of the' receptacle taken centrally and vertically thereof, and Fig. 8 is an edge view of an alternative construction of the revoluble insulation applying element.

In the drawing, let A represent arceptacle of any suitable form, that illustrated resembling a narrow trough forming a reservoir for holding the insulating compound vor medium in liquid condition. Associated suitable form of heater may be employed with my invention for keeping the bath of insulating'medium in prime liquid condition suitable for application to the electrical conductor represented by B, which consists of a metal wire 5 surrounded by covering 6 of insulating material of'usual form- This insulating'material is usually composed of a braided fibrous covering thoroughly impregnated with a suitable insulating compound. This insulating compound after conductors have been in service and exposed to the atmosphere for a considerable length of time, deteriorates, and it is the purpose of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device which will elfectively restore the insulating medium on the conductor, and leave the latter in highly efiicient condition.

' Arranged within the trough or receptacle is a freely revoluble 'f01111132tl11 Wheel; or

.roller C, which as illustrated in Fig. 1 is in ,the form; of a pair of disks or circular plates ;.7 and 8 mounted upon a hub 9 and spaced apart. Extending inwardly from the adjacent'faces of said plates are bristles 10 'forming a pair of brushes. The roller is freely journaled upon ash aft 11, which is mounted in a carriage12, so that the. roller will dip into "the fluid insulating compound held within the trough; -The carriage 11 is mountedto slide vertically between vertical guides 13nsecured to theoppositesides 14 of thetrough and a helical expansion spring'15 is held centrally below the carriage and forces thecarriage with theroller --C upwardly, so that'the upperportionxof the roller projects above the top edge of the trough. .Thedistance' at which the roller projects above the trough may be varied by turning a cam 16 (see Fig. 7), which is pivoted at 17 on one of the' side walls 14 of the trough with-fits cam surface positioned to bear against the top .end,;.of the carriage 12. 'A spring arm 18-secured: to the pivot'connection of'the cam 16 "may be used to turn the cam into adjusted position' and said armfisiheld in selected position after setting by a detent 18'e'ng'aging1i'n any one of the 'seriesof indentures'19" formed in the outer surfac of the trough. Y

' The positionv the conductor QB assumes above the trough when-it is being repaired is longitudinal and the brushesreceive the conductorkbetween them and apply the insulating compound to it from'thexbath below. -To-=guide the device while it is being moved backwardly or forwardly upon the conductor being repaired, "a" pair of guide wheels or rollers D having concave peripheries 20 are arranged above the conductor and journaled in brackets 21 depending from a cover E, which is movably mounted above the trough. These rollers are positioned one near either end of the device and are adapted to ride upon and act as hangers for movably supporting the device upon the conductor. The cover is. supported upon the trough by a pair of upright members 25 and 26 arranged on one side of the trough and having bent upper ends, which are secured by rivets 27 or other suitable means to the cover. The upright members slide vertically in the guides 28 secured to one of the side walls of the trough leaving an open space between the top and the trough on one side opposite that on which the vertical supporting members are arranged in which the conductor B may pass into connection below the guide rollers or a cross conductor connected to the longitudinal conductor may escape.

The cover remains in open position while the device is in use, and the distance at which it is held above the trough may be regulated by changing the position; the spring catches 30 (see F ig. 5) engage one of the series of pin receiving openings 32 in one of the sides of the trough by their pins 31. In applying the device to a conductor to' be repaired, the cover is first raised suihciently, so that it can be hung from the conductor by guide rollers D and with the conductor between the brushes 10 carried by the rotary element C. The cover is then lowered until the conductor rotary element passes between the sides of the brushes as illustrated, whereupon the catches 30 are allowed to lock the cover on the trough by engaging the pins 31 in the openings 32. The insulating compound which has previously been placed in the trough is then applied to the conductor by sliding the device forwardly and backwardly thereon, the rotary element C thereby being revolved and lifting the fluid insulating compound from the trough and coating the. wire evenly therewith. If desired the heater may be used to raise the temperature of the insulating compound, so that it is maintained in liquid and prime condition for application to the conductor.

A pair of rollers 35' and 36 freely rotatable and journaled upon swinging arms 37 and 38' are employed for smoothing, pressing and thoroughly filling the interstices in the surface of the covering of the conductor after it receives a bath of insulating compound, said rollers being compressed upon the surface of the conductor by means of a spring 39 connected to the free ends of the arms 37 and 38. The ends of the arms 37 and 38 which are not connected by the spring '39 are pivotally mounted by brackets 40 on the opposite sides of the cover E by means of the detachable bolts ll.

After the pressing devices compact and smooth the surface of the insulating coverthe insulation sets and hardens leaving the insulation in substantially as perfect condition as when originally manufactured. The cover maybe closed upon the receptacle to protect the insulating medium therein after the device has been removed from the conductor.

In the alternative construction illustrated in Fig. 8, the rotary bath member C has its opposite plates '7 and 8, which are mounted 2 upon the hub 9 provided with inwardly projecting flexible ribs 45, the inner ends of which are spaced apart. These ribs slant upwardly, so as to form pockets or cups which receive and lift the insulating com pound from the trough and deposit the same inwardly upon the conductor, thus washing the conductor with the insulating compound without direct contact with the rotary element. It is contemplated when desired that the rotary element C may be positively driven to propel the device along the conductor by a motor (not illustrated) on the housing.

In'accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation'of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A device for repairing the insulation on overhead electrical conductors, comprising, a portable receptacle containing a bath of insulating material, mechanism yieldably disposed within said receptacle for delivering the bath about said conductor, and means adapted for vertical movement toward and from said receptacle and to be held in its selected position for retaining said conductor in position to be operated upon by said mechanism.

2. A device for repairing the insulation on overhead electrical conductors, comprising, a receptacle containing a bath of insulating material, spaced vertical guides secured within said receptacle, carriage mechanism slidably mounted in said guides, a pair of spaced brush carrying devices rotatably mounted in said carriage mechanism, said devices being disposed on opposite sides of said conductor for delivering the bath thereabout, and means associated with said receptacle for adjustably retaining said coning and the device has completed its work,

ductor in position to be operated upon by said brush devices.

3. A device for repairing the insulation on overhead electrical conductors, comprising, a receptacle containing a bath of insulating material, spaced vertical guides secured within said receptacle, carriage mechanism slidably mounted in said guides, a spring centrally disposed beneath said carriage for forcing said carriage upwardly, a pair of spaced brush carrying devices rotatably mounted in said carriage mechanism, said devices being disposed on opposite sides of said conductor for delivering the bath there about, and means connected with said receptacle for adjustably retaining said conductor in position to be operated upon by said brush devices.

A. A device for repairing the insulation on overhead electrical conductors, comprising, a receptacle containing a bath of insulating material, spaced vertical guides secured within said receptacle, carriage mechanism slidably mounted in said guides, a spring for forcing said carriage upwardly, means operable from the exterior of said receptacle 'for limiting the upward movement of said carriage, a pair of spaced brush carrying,

devices rotatably mounted in said carriage mechanism, said devices being disposed on opposite sides of said conductor for delivering the bath thereabout, and means connected with said receptacle for adjustably retaining said conductor in position to be operatedupon by said brush devices.

5. A device for repairing the insulation on overhead electrical conductors, comprising, a receptacle containing a bath of insulating material, spaced vertical guides secured Within said receptacle, carriage mechanism slidably mounted in said guides, a pair of spaced brush carrying devices rotatably mounted in said carriage mechanism, said devices being disposed on opposite sides of said conductor for delivering the bath thereabout, and a member having guides at its opposite ends rolling upon the conductor, said member being vertically adjustable with respect to said receptacle for retaining said conductor in position to be operated upon by said brush devices.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WILLIAM C. ULRICH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommisnone r 0t I'atents,

Washington, D. 0. 

